MediaMan

I continue to hold up the Mac OS X cataloging app Delicious Library as the quintessential tool for organizing books, DVDs, console games, VHS tapes and CDs. It's the most elegant organizer on the market. Not a reason to throw out your Windows box and buy a Mac, but definitely something I covet as a Windows user. Chris ran across MediaMan last week and after some close examination it comes close. In fact, I'd wager the developer of MediaMan took a fairly close look at what makes Delicious Library cool when he was putting together his own app considering some obvious similarities. The number one thing that makes MediaMan a winner is the option to use a webcam to scan UPC codes on books, DVDs and CDs. Most cataloging tools require you to either type or in the case of shiny disk media, you might be able to insert the disk in your DVD-Rom drive for identification. Data is drawn from various Amazon locations around the globe, so you get both localized data and a reasonable guarantee of accuracy. Numerous sorting options are supported for more accurate representation of your collection. A loan tracker shows you who is borrowing your stuff. Because the Amazon collection lacks some indie music and movies, eclectic tastes may still turn up no results, but this is true of all products in this category. An export feature keeps your data portable. Both elegant and effective, MediaMan is my new cataloging tool of choice. [Windows 2k/XP $39.95]